___________________________
2020, man. What a year. What a shitty, dour, mournful, hateful, do-nothing year. Here's to hoping 2020 was nothing more than a hurdle for humanity to overcome. Life seemed to turn into an uphill battle, with light just now reaching the tunnel's end. Even art, the main form of escapism that could abate the tremors of reality, struggled to thrive in a world where creation was stifled to bedrooms and privately-owned studios. Lest it be the artists who provided when times weren't kind to them, or anyone. Though it didn't stand out against its recent predecessors, music in 2020 had one thing going for it: determination. The will to create when society crawls to a halt. The alms-giving charity when profit on-stage wasn't attainable. The desire to define culture even in the wake of an insurmountable zeitgeist.
Old favorites reclaimed thrones lost to fresh-faced up-and-comers, stalwart artisans doubled-down on neoteric atmospherics, irate revolutionists sought essential rallying cries, adept starlets used technology to ride out quarantine, and a slew of indomitable musicians purveyed through tumultuous uncertainty. Unlike the majority of us, music persevered, as it has shown for countless centuries beforehand.
As we enter list week, let's look forward by looking back and appreciating all the greatness 2020 offered, in spite of the wretchedness that prevailed. Hopeful discoveries and eager affirmations lie below. Chosen from a collection of 200 albums and 2,000 songs, I present Dozens Of Donuts' Top 50 Albums and Top 100 Songs of 2020. Enjoy.
Playlists For All 100 Songs: Apple Music | Spotify
___________________________
20
Blu & Exile - Requiem Of Blue
A family reunion like no other. No awkward small talk, no captious side-eyes, no fumbling over past memories. 'Requiem Of Blue' gathers the legends Blu and Fashawn, years after their respective classics, for a rousing track that proves their verisimilitude. As Exile's patented Soul samples, playful and effervescent, bounce in the background like a read-a-long, the two emcees reflect on dreams both accomplished and missed. Blu's verses move swift and vividly, as Fashawn's hook embraces the wide-eyed nostalgia of Boy Meets World. From all aspects, 'Requiem Of Blue' is Hip-Hop to admire. A blast from the past not lost upon age setting in.
___________________________
19
Gorillaz - Momentary Bliss
After struggling to regain their prowess as world-spanning tastemakers with Humanz and The Now Now, 'Momentary Bliss' - off their new Song Machine series - instantly reinvigorated Gorillaz with the youthful angst of slowthai. The brilliance lies in the duality. As his chastising lyrics flex with similar braggadocio to Grime, kooky Alternative Dance capers and cavorts in the background. It's delirious, mischievous, and wholly joyful. Not as lofty nor deranged as 'DoYaThing,' but similar in providing buoyancy to perceived mental illness. A bacchanal build-up, with invigorated background vocals and guitars disguised as percussion play folly to the most outrageous Art Punk. Though Song Machine was a modest disappointment, 'Momentary Bliss' concluded matters in the most optimistic way.
___________________________
18
Karrots - Since Brooklyn
There's something magical about raising acoustics up, like Simba on Pride Rock, with abundant force and exaltation. By their very nature, acoustics are tempered, kosher, and down to earth. But on examples like 'Since Brooklyn,' they're shoved into the fray of a thousand wayward souls. Stampeding percussion and an encouraging choir help the simple acoustic rhythm chug along like the little engine that could. Karrots I's best track - by thin margins over nearly everything else - paces itself brilliantly, beginning with homely origins before thrusting towards the great beyond, dauntless with soaring electric guitars that romanticize euphoria on the cusp of being achieved.
___________________________
17
Car Seat Headrest - There Must Be More Than Blood
It was arguably Car Seat Headrest's first misstep in an already-storied career, but at the very least, Making A Door Less Open gave us 'There Must Be More Than Blood.' Combining the flavor and passion of Toledo's earlier work with the polish and stature of his more recent material, 'There Must Be More Than Blood' moves across a litany of sections carried by a melodic thump and imminent breakthrough. Featuring a classic Car Seat Headrest hook, reliant on anthemic principles that define moments in time, MADLO's lone standout aspired to heights Toledo previously called home.
___________________________
16
Sault - Little Boy
Tucked away at the tail-end of Sault's fourth album in the past two years, you'd be forgiven for missing the gem that is 'Little Boy.' Despite a track record that's labelled Sault political activists for a new, enlightened era, 'Little Boy' stands atop their evocative batch with frailty, not funk. Melancholy, not confidence. A piercingly-human take on police brutality disguised as a children's lullaby, 'Little Boy's' weighted piano keys and crestfallen choir is a tearful moment that won't soon be forgotten. It insists upon simplicity, reducing quarrels between Black Lives Matter humanitarians and All Lives Matter sectarians to the core. Equality for all, no matter your background. Here, an adult begs for a future brighter than the present, through the wide-eyes of a child.
___________________________
15
Run The Jewels - Walking In The Snow
Considering the ramifications and importance of 2020, the sore lack of substantial, meaningful Political Hip-Hop kept creeping up in my mind. There were no To Pimp A Butterfly's, though singles sparked like flash-bangs, one of which was Run The Jewels' 'Walking In The Snow.' With a classic, grindstone beat built from the rubble by El-P and one legendary verse by Killer Mike cutting to the root of racism in America, 'Walking In The Snow' seems to predict a destabilized country where revolution is necessary, even in the throes of winter. This is protest music, but more importantly, it's set to the scene of an uprising. Intelligent, belligerent, and emotionally-gripping, 'Walking In The Snow' represents the three necessary ingredients for a Run The Jewels great.
___________________________
14
Jessie Ware - Remember Where You Are
Where is the line drawn between overproduced and immaculately-produced? Clarity and fidelity aren't always virtues to seek in expressive art, but when the message is remembrance about a moment in time - as is the case with Jessie Ware's 'Remember Where You Are' - clutching that precision is essential. The contemplative closer to What's Your Pleasure? acts as a soothing anesthetic to the formidable Disco that came before, moving with a moderate pace that's inundated with fate and opulence. As we've seen with countless albums prior, one can't go wrong with a celebratory coda, and 'Remember Where You Are' mobilizes quite the determined envoi, as Ware embraces change no matter how fearful external matters may become.
___________________________
13
Phoebe Bridgers - Kyoto
It's one of those songs. You can hear it the instant those lunging drums mix potently with 'Kyoto's' timid, but impassioned horns. Seemingly on a yearly cycle, a heralding Indie Rock anthem emerges to represent an ever-shifting tide in the Independent scene. Here, Phoebe Bridgers' accomplishes as much, borrowing great influence from Beulah's irrepressible drive and Sufjan Stevens' motivational vagary. Recalling suburban memories, as quotidian as they are earmarked, Bridgers soars through 'Kyoto's burgeoning atmosphere with a glee that only weary travelers grow accustomed to. As Punisher's centerpiece, it thrived on centerstage, cementing Bridgers' status as next-gen augur.
___________________________
12
Fiona Apple - Shameika
It doesn't get more Progressive Pop than this. In any other career, 'Shameika' would've been the capstone. For Fiona Apple, it's track two. Like much of Apple's grandiose works, 'Shameika' dares to be unpacked. Universal as it may be, the complexity that's frantically assembling itself underneath - like a freight train with exhausted coal workers - is a masterstroke of human ingenuity and determination. Pounding jungle drums, feral grunts and screams, and a piano tumble for the ages, 'Shameika's' production is unparalleled in a genre wholly dependent on lofty theatrics. Complete that with Apple's singular perspective on bullies and their pestering deterrence, using a third party - the enigmatic 'Shameika' - as the bearer of good news, and you have the makings of a masterpiece. Or, to Fetch The Bolt Cutters, track two.
___________________________
11
Caribou - Ravi
Caribou's at his best when tickling with texture, and nowhere can that be seen better than 'Ravi.' Suddenly's unmistakable climax propels itself with the hip-thrusting puissance of Deep House's best, finding itself alongside recent epics like Four Tet's 'Daughter' or Against All Logic's 'I Never Dream' by incorporating chimerical sample techniques that morph indecipherable vocals into nostalgic mush. It's the type of track you get lost in, sinking further and further into the rush of amity, with shimmering percussion and orbital Dream Pop-esque vocals provided by Dan Snaith himself. Like a wave pool for one, 'Ravi' undulates with such uniformity that it feels as if the earth is moving around the listener. It's a Dance record for the ages, a perfect encapsulation of just how simple it is to engage the soul.
___________________________
10
Poppy - BLOODMONEY
'BLOODMONEY' hits like a ton of bricks. Poppy's tenacious brand of vested Nu-Metal finds itself precariously perched between audacious trendsetter and absurd caricature, able to counteract defamers existing on the grounds of tastelessness due to magnified self-awareness. 'BLOODMONEY' is so over-the-top, so preposterous, so deformed, that one can't help but participate in the lunacy of it all. With one of the best hooks in recent memory, stringing together an intra-rhythmic taunt with vile reproach, Poppy assumes the role of revolting agitator. The bombastic onslaught of Electronic mayhem serves the setting of skirmish, while the juxtaposed infirmity of Poppy's ASMR-like Spoken Word sections help to iterate her internal personality, and the plight rage takes upon that purity. It's the duality any feminist endures, and one that 'BLOODMONEY' exposes with reckless abandon.
___________________________
9
Charli XCX - forever
The beauty of Bubblegum Bass lies in the redefining boundaries of simplicity. Take away the production, quirky and unreliable, and what's left is a prototypical love song, schmaltzy and derivative. It's why Pop music will never fade, but merely adapt to the situations surrounding it. In this case, it's the transformative qualities of Bubblegum Bass, with Charli XCX's massacred vocals weeping distortedly over blown out bass and scattershot synthesizers, and the COVID-19 pandemic causing distance to, conceivably, draw concerns over a physical relationship. To her lover, Charli XCX denounces those lingering doubts with one of the decade's best Pop songs in 'Forever.'
___________________________
8
Bedwetter - Headboard
Single | Listen
Though it was likely recorded years ago - who knows when it comes to Travis Miller - the immaculate 'Headboard' presents yet another previously unseen side of the enigmatic genre-jumper; Hypnagogic Pop. Using his one-off pseudonym Bedwetter, 'Headboard' sounds surprisingly calm given the psychosis that manifested itself on Flick Your Tongue Against Your Teeth. A therapeutic epilogue perhaps, one defined by a snug guitar loop and whimsical vocals. As simple as it is effective. 'Headboard' transcends misery, as Miller's monotone singing posits seeming idealism following the collapse of one's sanity. "All I know is right now I'm free" he fades cooingly as the chorus' orphic loop repeats itself through euphoria. A track to get lost in.
___________________________
7
food house - Thos Moser
'Thos Moser' is so stupid. Like really, really stupid. It also single-handedly convinced me of the potential value found within meme culture, a major subset of social media degradation I'm almost always disinterested in. Here, there's substance in the seeming absence of it. In the music video, Gupi and Fraxiom casually jump hoops through adolescent humor that's dry and self-inflicting, outrageous and arbitrary. Musically, the same descriptions apply, with noted one-liners and unforgettable sections that suction cup, like a leech, onto the unsuspecting host. Fustian Bubblegum Bass cliches compose the bulk of 'Thos Moser,' but the unequivocal self-awareness never lets abecedarian techniques falter. It's a blissful composition, a time capsule for an era that undoubtedly be looked on with shame and embarrassment. But maybe not regret.
___________________________
6
Quelle Chris & Chris Keys - Mirage
Languished Hip-Hop, you don't often see it. But considering the year, 'Mirage's' exhausted grief is apt. Over a weeping, antique piano and lifeless drums, introspective lyrics are offset by a coerced Gospel choir. Rarely does Hip-Hop induce tears of agony, at times 'Mirage' is almost to hard to bear. The juxtaposition from what Quelle Chris typically associates himself with and the utter dreariness he finds himself is nothing short of heartbreaking. This is a man at a tether's end, grasping for meaning in a chaotic world. Or, seeing hope as nothing more than a 'Mirage.' Sensational verses from Earl Sweatshirt and Denmark Vessey, combined with an extended Spoken Word outro from Big Sen decrying the struggles of poverty, declare Innocent Country 2's rock-bottom climax a masterpiece of poetic emotion.
___________________________
5
The Weeknd - After Hours
Right from the get-go, 'After Hours' carries itself with a different weight than all Weeknd songs that came before. There's a reason it's the penultimate track on an album named after it. With a career trajectory that seems almost circular, considering the Future Garage that festers in 'After Hours'' underbelly rose to prominence around - and potentially due to - Trilogy's release - it's only right for The Weeknd to find himself on those neon-lit streets again, out past curfew. Merging reality with an unnerving nightmare, The Weeknd weaves through combative demons, regretful missteps, and a haunting darkness that forever trails with his textbook grace and dolor. We'd be remiss without mentioning DaHeala, Illangelo, and Mario Winans who composed the sinister, yet equally-intoxicating backbone of 'After Hours.' The perfect accompaniment to an errant celebrity lifestyle.
___________________________
4
Big Blood - Serpent Skies
After hearing over 250 original Big Blood songs you start to see patterns, go-to aesthetics in structure and tone that reappear every so often. The moment 'Serpent Skies'' rolling acoustics, wood chipper guitars, and campfire drums emerged, a treat was a certified guarantee. Like 'Song For RO-HE-GE,' 'I Have Known Love,' or 'Queen Day,' Deep Maine's ten-minute epic tours a fantasy realm with fairies, colorful mushrooms, and ceremonial circle dances, contorting itself into something wholly original in the Avant-Folk genre. In other words, it represents the forgotten lands of Maine; Big Blood's home. Despite indulging in Drone, with repetition being 'Serpent Skies'' primary calling card, Big Blood's ability to vivify the humdrum genre with subtle progression and merging harmonies means, despite the length, 'Serpent Skies' never grows old.
___________________________
3
Fiona Apple - Ladies
To Fiona Apple, anything less than great seems impossible to craft. On the surface, her vicarious promenade of Progressive Pop - with its buoyant spirit and playful jaunt - seems easy and effortless. But look past that ornamental facade and therein lies complexities Pop should never approach. Like any song off the esteemed Fetch The Bolt Cutters, 'Ladies' excels in this regard. The back-alley Jazz, with a twanged bass and fatigued drum, her weathered vocals brought on by years of dejection, the background harmonizing meant to unify the 'Ladies' in the room, all meticulous in their crusade for accessibility. It's a sly, splendid side effect of Apple's immaculate talents, the ability to let a listeners' guard down so you can expose them to injustices amongst genders.
___________________________
2
Perfume Genius - Describe
Wrecking ball music, the kind that thwarts all expectation with thunderous impingement. Sure, Perfume Genius' lofty 2019 singles 'Eye In The Wall' and 'Pop Song' hinted at an evolution devoid of precedent, but nothing could've prepared listeners for the wallop of hoarse Shoegaze 'Describe' discharged. A mammoth wall of sound, madcap Noise interchanged with vulnerable vocals and symphonic acoustics, lyrics depicting fracas from the inside out. All before an extended Ambient passage, like angels hoisting a now-celestial being up higher and higher, neutralizes the besieged pain and contracted tumult. 'Describe' is Perfume Genius' most impressive work to date, and though Set My Heart On Fire failed to capitalize on such stately prospects, the idea of it sitting as a linchpin for Mike Hadreas' internal conflict is satisfying enough.
___________________________
1
Alexis Marshall - Nature In Three Movements
Single | Listen
Like the deranged, chainsaw-wielding psycho from any horror film, Daughters' You Won't Get What You Want came out of nowhere in 2018, eventually becoming my AOTY in a year of worthy contenders. Songs like 'City Song' and 'Guest House' still chill me to this day. And why, if not for Alexis Marshall's unhinged bravado and internal quarreling. When debating over what deserved to be 2020's SOTY, something as revolting, intense, and savage as 'Nature In Three Movements' kept signaling. This isn't political, it's not even culturally-relevant. It reflects the Experimental Rock and No Wave phase of The Birthday Party and Swans, circa 1980. Marshall's first solo single embodies the feelings of those enduring this year; so distraught, depressing, and destitute. Each ensuing pummel further crushes you, like rocks piling atop your loosely-dug grave. Mental cohesion unraveling with obsessive neuroses, unending and undefined. The panicked plunge seeks permanent peace of mind only when death is achieved, as the guttural spirituals of tormentors masquerade as Dark Ambient come song's end.
It is performance art of the utmost degree. A chilling look at a man losing control of his mind, body, and life. The only thing left, disturbingly so, is the self-awareness that this is wrong. Marshall's slack jaw convulsions only go on to accentuate such blasphemy, all the while drums both assailant and encroaching spell of a coming doom. Walking to the gates of Hell, hammer in one hand, pen bloodied from line marks across the throat in the other. 'Nature In Three Movements' is a masterpiece in emotive dissonance, capturing the unexpected mania of Daughters' live performances. An exorcism self-imposed. A madcap escape from the clutches of modernity. A death march in motion. It is awful, awful, awful. It is 'Nature In Three Movements.' It is 2020.
___________________________
100-51 | 50-21 | Top 50 Albums
No comments:
Post a Comment